Fence-tool.



D W. BOWE.

FENCE TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1915.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Inventor Attorneys Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID W. BOWE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO FENGEPT'O 0L.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Plat. 14:, 1916.

Application filed April 8, 1915. Serial No. 20,001.

provide a tool having means for engaging a fence wire adjacent opposed sides of a post, means being provided whereby the wire can be drawn back so as to partly lap the sides of the post where it will be held until a clip has been applied to the post and wlre.

A further object is to provide an instrument of this character which will lock automatically when the wire has been drawn against the post so that both hands of the user are thus left free to place a clip about the post and in engagement with the wire.

Another object is to provide a device of his character adapted for use in connection with posts of different sizes and which has spacing means whereby a clip can be readily inserted between the post and the wire engaging elements.

IVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed. can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of the device in the first position assumed thereby while being applied to a fence post and wire. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the top plate of the tool removed and the parts locked in position, a clip being shown in engagement with the wire and post. Fig. 3 is a section on line A-B. Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the body of the device, the same being provided at one end with outwardly diverging arms 2 and '3, the body being open between said arms and also at the opposite end thereof. The inner faces of the side walls of the body diverge away from the arms and the space within the body is designed to receive a head 1* adapted to slide within the body. This head has a stem 5 projecting from one end thereofand pivotally connected to the head at opposite sides thereof are links 6. These links are in turn pivotally connected to segmental heads 7 provided upon levers 8 which are fulcrumed,-as at 9, within the body'lJ The heads 7 have recesses 10 in which the links are mounted sothat the upper faces of the links and the heads 7 are disposed in substantially the same plane. Recesses 11 are also preferably formed in the head 4 for the reception of the adjacent ends of links 6. A cover plate 12 is secured upon the body 1 and serves to house the links 6 and to hold the head 4 and levers 8 against displacement relative to the body 1. By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the segmental heads 7 extend close to the sides .of the stem 5 so as thus to hold said stem and the head t against lateral swinging within the body. The long arms of levers 8 constitute handles and can be of any desired construction.

Extending from one side of the body 1 is an ear 13 in which is mounted a stop screw 14 designed to be engaged by the adjacent lever 8 so as thus to limit the outward swinging movement of the two levers.

The arm 2 is provided, in its upper face, with spaced notches 15 and, along its inner side, with a longitudinal spacing flange 16. The arm 3, which is comparatively short, is pivotally engaged by another arm 17 having notches 18 similar to the notches 15 and also having a longitudinal spacing flange 19. A stop lug 20 extends from the arm 3 and projects into a short groove 21 in the arm 17 thus to limit the swinging movement of said arm 17 relative to the arm 3.

'A spring 22 extends from the arm 3 and bears against arm 17 so as to hold it norof connection between the segmental heads 7 and the links 6 are moved past their dead centers, thus to hold the head 4 against return movement after being thrust outwardly from the body 1. This thrusting action which is exerted against the head at through the links 6 results in pulling the arms 2 and 17 back so as to crimp the wire at the sides of the post. The parts will be held in these positions by the levers 8 which assumethe positions shown in Fig. 2 and, consequently, the device can be released and will remain clamped against the post. The operator can then place a clip upon the post and in engagement with the Wire so asto hold the wire bound tightly against the post after the tool has been removed. The clip used preferably consists of a bowed wire 23 so shaped as to be easily placed astride the post, the terminals of the wire being bent into hooks adapted to engage the wire. It is to be understood that should thearms 2 and 17 fit close to opposed portions of the post, the flanges 16 and 19 would hold them spaced sufficiently from the post to permit the ready insertion of the clip between the post and the arms. By pivotally mounting arm 17 the tool can be adapted for use in connection with posts of different sizes.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A device of the class described, including a body, spaced wire-engaging members carried thereby, a post-engaging head slidably mounted within the body, actuating levers pivotally connected to the body, and links connecting said levers to the head, the connecting points between the links and head being shiftable past the dead centers to lock the slidable head when projected from the body.

2. A device of the class described, including a body, spaced Wire-engaging members carried thereby, a post-engaging head slidably mounted within the body, levers fulcrumed within the body and having heads at one end, links pivotally connected to said heads and to the slidable head, said levers and links being shiftable to project the head 3. A device of the class described, includ ing a body, spaced fixed and pivoted wire engaging arms carried thereby, a spacing.

member carried by each arm, yielding means for holding the pivoted arm normally in a predetermined position relative to the fixed arm, a post-engaging head slidably mounted in the body, and means for projecting said head into the space between. the arms.

4:. A device of the class described, including a body, spaced fixed and pivoted wireengaging arms carried thereby, yielding means for holding the pivoted arm normally in a predetermined posit-ion relative to the fixed arm, cooperating means upon the pivoted arm and the body for limiting the pivotal. movement of said arm, a postengaging head slidably mounted relative to the body, and means for projecting the head into the space between the arms.

5. A device of the class described, including a body, spaced fixed and pivoted Wireengaging arms carried thereby, a longitudinally extending spacing member upon the inner side of each arm, ylelding means for holding the pivoted arm normally pressed toward the fixed arm, means for limiting the pivotal movement oi? the pivoted arm, a post-engaging head slidably mounted in the body, levers fulcrumed in the body, link connections between said levers and the head, and means for limiting the movement of the levers from each other, said levers and links cooperating to hold the head in projected position,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing,

as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID W. BOWE. Witnesses Ivr E. SIMPSON, PHILOMENA A. RooKELLI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7

Washington, D. C. 

